To Dress and to Keep!

It is amazing when we are able to comprehend the marvellous and wonderful plans of our Father in heaven concerning us. The I AM that I AM confessed it thus, “For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you and expected end.” Jer. 29 v 11.

The fall of Adam signified the decline of man from the privileged position of maintaining what has already been put in place and depending on the resources, which he did not provide to one, who eats in sorrow from a cursed ground. What a pity! Man has lost a prime position where he was king and ministered to and has become a peasant labouring to feed from a cursed ground.

It is important to examine the original intention of god for man at creation. A few salient points come to mind:

1. God created man in his own image. Gen 1:27

Image is defined in the Longman’s Dictionary of Contemporary English as: “in the same form or shape as someone or something else.” It therefore means that man is replica of God by His own voluntary decision. It also follows that having created man thus, He requested a level; of fellowship which is divinely ordained by creating man after the likeness of God.

ii. God gave man dominion. Gen 1:26

God’s intention for man is to be totally in charge. Thus, man was given dominion over all the earth and all that is contained therein. This implies the power or right to rule over them. Man is thus a king of the whole earth and constituents. The king has a right and the power to rule, to decree, to order and it is to be carried out without questioning.

iii. God created man, male and female. Gen 1:27

The difference in sexes was divinely ordained by God and He desired that man should lack nothing to complement his existence in order for him to function in the perfect will of God. The man and the woman are created in the image of God.

iv. God blesses man. Gen 1:28

With this pronouncement, God made man holy unto Himself. He keeps, protects, provides. He ordered man “to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth, and subdue it.” He gave all that is necessary for a pleasurable and victorious living.

With the foregoing, it is evident that God wanted the best for man and all that was required of man was to “dress and keep” the garden of Eden. In other words, man was only expected to be maintenance officer. All facilities for an optimum environment had been provided and were functioning optimally.

The tragedy of the fall is that man dropped from his high pedestal to one that tills not just any ground but a cursed ground creating a situation that can be regarded as double jeopardy.

It is obvious that unless God Himself came to man’s rescue, man was doomed eternally.

The fall of Adam became the fall of man, “for all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God” Rom 3:23. The consequence of sin is death… (Rom 6:23), “but God commendeth his love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom 5:8. Thus the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. This is the path of return charted by Jehovah Himself.

There is therefore an opportunity for man to return to his original position of primacy as ordained by God. For God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

All that we need do is confess our sins and he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I Jn 1:9. But let us remember that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Therefore, the path to true restoration is by confessing our sins and accepting the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour recognising in deed and in that He is the way, the truth and the life and that no man cometh unto the father but by Him. Jn. 14: 6, obeying all that He commanded us to do.

Then we shall like the Psalmist say in this perilous times, “the Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green pastures (garden); he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul. Thou preparest a table before me ( I do not need to participate in the preparation just like Adam did not plant the garden of Eden) and that surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord, forever, Amen.

A full and perfect restoration to the Garden of Eden.

My beloved reader, do you want to return to the Garden of Eden, you want to God’s original plan for you? All you need do is confess your sins, repent of them and accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Master. You can live in the Garden of Eden even now! May God bless you.

Samson Ameh Opaluwah

June 2004